


dissonance and harmony

by emothy



Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Asexual Character, Asexuality, M/M, Mutual Pining, Senpai Notice Me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:31:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8401807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emothy/pseuds/emothy
Summary: "What if I'm never ready?" He asks. Marvelous has no idea what he’s talking about, so of course he questions it. 
"What do you mean?" 
Don shrinks away from him, sliding right off his lap this time and almost cowering back on the seat. Marvelous reaches out after him too slowly to stop him. 
"What if I never want to have sex?" Don clarifies. "What if I don't want to do that, ever? What if it's not that I'm just not ready?" Will you break up with me? he doesn't say, but it hangs in the air between them anyway.





	

**Author's Note:**

> (Contains a few common insensitive questions ace people get asked about their sexuality, because Marv is kinda stupid and can be insensitive, let's be honest. Ask me for more info if you need it before reading!).

-

Marvelous has been thinking about doing this _all night_. Ever since he gave up on the idea of using his motorbike for their date, and subsequently realised a car was a much better idea anyway; making out on the bike is awkward at best. His father's car has sides (and a roof - cars that are not soft-tops are lame, but having a roof is an advantage sometimes) to keep the chill out, and seats with backs you can support yourself against. The front seats are separated by the handbrake and not at all conducive to getting his mack on, so Marvelous had watched the _entire movie_ at the drive-in instead of copping a feel during that middle lull that always happens so that you can take the excuse to start making out in the back of the theatre. They do it on purpose; that's Official Make-Out Time for couples at the movies. Making out in the back of the movie theatre wouldn't have been a new experience for Marvelous, of course, but he knows Don isn't a 'do it in public' sort of person. He doesn't really seem to be a 'make-out-much-at-all' person, Marvelous has noticed, but he thinks Don might just be shy about initiating; he certainly doesn't dislike when Marvelous initiates it. 

Don hadn't seem to have noticed the gap between the seats, or even cared about it, too busy being invested in the movie. It wasn't a scary one, unfortunately, so he hadn't at any point jumped out of his skin and tried to climb into Marvelous's lap. Which had sucked because Marvelous has heard that a good dose of fear can heighten arousal (it makes sense; he gets a kick out of doing dangerous stuff all the time). Don had simply sat nibbling his popcorn, watching avidly as the characters went on an adventure. Right towards the end, at the traditional Good vs. Evil climactic battle scene, he had stuffed the cuff of his jacket into his mouth and tried not to squeak at the clash of swords. It was about then that Marvelous realised he had spent most of the movie watching Don instead of the screen.

"It was good, wasn't it?" Don had asked as they drove homewards, a little fearful that Marvelous wouldn't agree, but still clearly invested in his response either way. Marvelous had had to babble off a reply about liking the part with the _things_ and the _stuff_ , and really hit the jackpot when he managed to recall one of the character's names and it turned out he had been Don's favourite and Don had chatted away happily about the guy for the next five minutes straight without giving Marvelous a word in edgeways. 

Marvelous knows that when he pulls the car up at the side of the road things are either going to go perfectly right, or very wrong. He decides to speak first before Don can ask why they've stopped. 

"I don't want to take you home yet," he says frankly. "Do you want to go home yet? It's nowhere near your curfew." He flicks his eyes over towards the clock on the dash so that Don can affirm that for himself. It's not the only reason he would need - or want - to go home, of course, but Marvelous hopes it's a big enough worry off his mind that it will persuade him to agree to stay. 

"Are we going somewhere else?" Don asks innocently. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to stop at a fast-food place and grab dinner right about now, but Marvelous has an appetite for Don, too, and it came first. 

"I thought we could spend some quality time together," Marvelous replies, reaching over to stroke his fingers over the back of Don's hand where it sits on his thigh. "Just the two of us, alone." 

"Oh," Don says, and blushes. 

"Do you want to join me in the backseat?"

"Okay," Don nods with a sweetly shy smile, and Marvelous climbs through between the two front seats, making himself comfortable with his legs spread wide. Don doesn't follow immediately, so Marvelous offers out his hand to help Don keep his balance as he steps over the handbrake and finds his footing again. He _still_ slips, flailing and tumbling right into Marvelous's lap. 

"That's exactly it," Marvelous chuckles, winding his arms around Don's waist and holding him close as Don stammers an apology, panicking about having fallen on him. It didn't hurt, after all; Don barely weighs a thing. Marvelous presses a finger to Don's lips to shush him and then replaces it with his mouth against Don's, parting it easily. Don soon stops worrying and calms down, wrapping arms around Marvelous’s shoulders and pulling himself further into Marvelous’s lap. 

Marvelous loves the feel of Don’s lips and his pouty little mouth, and the tentative way he kisses back which grows more confident over time as he realises the kiss isn’t going to end anytime soon. Marvelous could do this for _hours_ now, he’s been waiting so long this evening to get Don’s lips on his. If he just breathes through his nose there’s no need to part at all. He reaches up to put his hands on Don’s face and kiss his mouth over and over, gentle, slow kisses one after the other. Don makes a warm sound of approval and Marvelous deepens the kiss again, sliding his tongue into Don’s mouth and letting his hands drag down the front of Don’s (adorable) checked shirt. 

Making out with Don has been fun ever since the first time when Don shyly admitted he didn’t know what he was doing and Marvelous had had to guide him through it a little a time. He’s become much more confident, but still tends to follow and let Marvelous decide the pace, the depth of the kiss, the length. Marvelous puts his hands on Don’s waist to hold him steady and thinks, _Don is into this, maybe it’s time to take things further_. It sure would be nice to get to second base. At least. 

Don doesn’t even _think_ about it at first, as stupid as it seems. Marvelous’s hands are warm on his waist, making him feel secure, and Marvelous’s mouth is enthusiastically, insistently moving against his, and Don is flattered by the attention though he thinks that if Marvelous keeps up that sort of pace he’s going to be overwhelmed by it really soon. And then Marvelous slips one of his hands down over Don’s pants, right between his legs, and Don just thinks _whatever, it’s another place to put his hand_ , until he remembers that is _isn’t_. Don has no particular good - or bad - feelings about Marvelous touching him there, but Marvelous has _intentions_ , sexual intentions, and Don can’t let him think that’s what he wants just because he isn’t completely repulsed at the idea of it. 

“No, no, stop,” Don says, gasping for the breath to get his words out. Marvelous lets go of Don completely as he feels Don’s palms in the centre of his chest, pushing himself back. His mouth is swollen from all the kissing and his eyes look a little clouded. 

“I stopped,” Marvelous says, almost as equally as breathless. “Don, I stopped.”

“I know,” Don says after a moment spent waiting for his racing heartbeat to slow back down a little. “Thank you.”

“Are you okay?”

“Mmm,” Don says distractedly. He’s okay with the immediate situation because Marvelous stopped when he asked him to. He’s not okay with the other things going on in his head, like the voice pointing out that he needs to explain and deal with this _now_ or else he’s going to end up doing something he really doesn’t want to do. And he’ll hate himself for doing it, resent Marvelous for expecting him to do it, and then Marvelous will stop liking him anyway. “Yes and no.”

“I went too far?” Marvelous asks. “I’m sorry, I thought you were into it.”

“You could’ve asked,” Don points out. But who does that? He’s seen enough TV shows and movies. It’s just the natural progression of things. People start dating, they kiss, they make-out. Eventually they have sex. Sometimes nobody says anything at all, they use non-verbal cues instead. ‘No’ is just not something you can get across very easily non-verbally. “I mean, I was. Into the kissing. It’s just that I don't want to go any further."

"You're not ready?" Marvelous asks. "That's okay." It's disappointing, sure; he can't deny that, but Marvelous doesn't fool around with people who aren't willing. He's not an _animal_ , he can wait. "I'll wait until you're ready, Don."

"Okay," Don says with a soft smile, thinking that maybe that promise is enough for now, and Marvelous reaches up to press a chaste kiss to Don’s mouth as though sealing his promise to do nothing more than kiss him. Don kisses him back, parting his lips, tightening his fingers in the collar of Marvelous's shirt, and Marvelous thinks at least they can do this much still-

Until Don pulls away again.

"What if I'm never ready?" He asks. Marvelous has no idea what he’s talking about, so of course he questions it. 

"What do you mean?" 

Don shrinks away from him, sliding right off his lap this time and almost cowering back on the seat. Marvelous reaches out after him too slowly to stop him. 

"What if I never want to have sex?" Don clarifies. "What if I don't want to do that, ever? What if it's not that I'm just not ready?" _Will you break up with me?_ he doesn't say, but it hangs in the air between them anyway. 

"I don't understand," Marvelous says slowly. Why would Don think he wouldn't want to ever have sex? _Everyone_ has sex. "Did someone... hurt you?" It's not easy to ask, not if it will bring up bad memories for Don, and Marvelous might not even want to know the answer if it’ll be affirmative, even though he’s the one who asked. 

"N-no!" Don splutters. "It's not like that. It's not some kind of trauma. I made the decision myself."

"Like waiting until marriage?" Marvelous ventures. "You don't want to ever have sex with me, because we're not in a big commitment like that? I appreciate you telling me now-" 

" _No_ ," Don says firmly. "Let me try and explain." 

"I thought I _was_ letting you," Marvelous says quietly, folding his arms across his chest and shutting his mouth. Don feels the panic starting; he hadn't meant that in an accusing way, he's just trying to put his thoughts into order without being interrupted and figure out all the things he needs to include to make this make sense to Marvelous. To Don Marvelous already looks like he has shut himself off a little, is starting to distance himself. Of course this was going to be a deal-breaker. Don knew this was coming, had told himself a thousand times. Then he'd tried to kid himself that if it was Marvelous he'd be able to do it, he would want to have sex. Eventually, probably, maybe. But that's not who he is. 

"You've had sex," Don begins, trying to say it as casually as possible without implying that he actually listens to gossip or believes any of it (although come on, Marvelous has had sex, it's no great leap to guess that even if you have no information to go on other than his self-confidence and love of absolutely anything on the planet that _feels good_ ). "So there have to have been people in the past you've actually _wanted_ to have sex with first." He looks at Marvelous, trying to catch his eye and make sure he's taking this in before he goes on.

"Makes sense," Marvelous mumbles, obviously being sullen because he still doesn't get it yet. 

"Well," Don says with an apologetic shrug, "I don't. I have never met a person I wanted to have sex with."

"Can I ask one thing?" Marvelous seems to know he could just be about to frustrate Don even further but he's practically bursting from needing to know. "You hear all the time about how so-and-so 'just hasn't met the right person yet'. How do you know that's not how it is for you?"

"Because I know me," Don says simply, trying not to sound too frosty; he's so used to these sort of questions, but he's holding out hope that Marvelous really is trying to understand and not just being ignorant. "Because I thought if there was anyone... It would have been you."

"Huh." Marvelous has the good grace to look away after that, seeing Don start to go pink. It's kind of embarrassing to admit a little part of you just wishes you _were_ like everyone else, because it would be simpler in so many ways, which is almost what Don has just done. He isn't trying to change who he is. He wouldn't. 

"So," Marvelous says after a moment of stilted silence, "you don't think I'm attractive then?" 

Don bites his lip so that he won't smile. Trust Marvelous to take a hit to the ego over this. Is there even actually anyone at school more desired than he is? 

"Of course I do," Don says. Okay, he can't stop the smile forming on his face. "I really like looking at you. I think you're very attractive."

"But you don't want to have sex with me."

"Ah," Don thinks he can see what Marvelous is getting at. "Are there people you ever look at and think they're attractive _without_ also wanting to have sex with them because of it?" Asking Marvelous this might not actually work. Marvelous sometimes looks at his _lunch_ and appears to want to have sex with it. 

"Like... 'she's pretty' instead of 'she's hot'?" Marvelous asks. 

"I think so?" Don says tentatively. "We're talking about something I don't understand now." 

"This car is pretty attractive," Marvelous says. "...I don't want to have sex with it."

_Well thank goodness for that!_ Don thinks to himself. _Something Marvelous doesn't want to have sex with!_

"Okay," he says as calmly as possible, "now imagine that but with _people_."

He gives Marvelous a minute to see if he can come to terms with it that way, but he just shakes his head and frowns.

"It’s too difficult," he says. "I don't know how to not see people that way."

"-And I don't know how to see people that way."

This isn't going as badly as Don had imagined the worst possible scenario, that's true. Marvelous hasn't kicked him to the kerb yet, figuratively or literally. But it isn't really going smoothly either. There's so much awkward silence. And Marvelous won't just tell him they're breaking up. They're _obviously_ breaking up.

"So," Don says, clearing his throat. "It isn't about me not finding you attractive on some level. Because if I didn't, and if I didn't like you... I wouldn't be here now. I wouldn't have wanted to date you."

_I still want to date you. Please say you still want to date me, even though I know I'm asking too much of you._

"You want the dating stuff," Marvelous says. Don nods. "But no sex?" He nods again. Marvelous chuckles. "You're so lucky you're not a girl. Do you know how many names there are for girls who are like that?"

"Yes," Don cringes. "I do."

Marvelous realises he has said something not at all complimentary after all. 

"Not that I say them!" He says hastily. "And I wouldn't force anyone. I never have. You believe me, right?"

"Of course I do," Don says, taking one of Marvelous's hands in his. "I wouldn't have gone near you if I even suspected you were that kind of person. But I know you better than that." 

He shuffles closer on the seat; he could really use a hug right now. Marvelous still hasn't broken up with him yet, but he's going to. Maybe Don can just enjoy the closeness for the few moments he still has left of it. Don takes hold of Marvelous's hand, lifts his arm up and wraps it around his shoulders so that he can lean against Marvelous's side. 

"What are you doing?" Marvelous asks. Don freezes. This is it after all. 

"Cuddling?" He replies tentatively. 

"So you like doing that," Marvelous says, almost to himself. "So some touching is okay."

"Cuddling isn't inherently sexual," Don says, though he knows some people do it after sex. "Its comforting." 

"Do you like making out with me?" Marvelous asks. Don is surprised at the fierceness in his voice and so even though he opens his mouth to answer the words don't come out immediately. Marvelous alters his tone so that it isn't so frightning, but it's still deadly serious when he says, "Don. Making out with me: do you like it, or not like it?"

"I l-like it!" Don stammers, knowing he is about to turn pink yet again. 

"You have to tell me the truth, because I told you I don't force people, and I don't want you to think-"

"Marvelous," Don places his hand to Marvelous's mouth to quiet him. "I'm telling the truth."

"You can't tell me making out feels comforting," Marvelous says flatly.

"In a way," Don says. "I like how familiar your lips feel now. It reminds me how well I know you. I like that you like doing it. I like feeling cared about. I like that it's something physical I can do for you that expresses that I care for you, too, and that's more satisfying to you than a hug or holding hands are, even if I can't go all the way with you." 

"So, but... just kissing?" Marvelous asks. There's a little whine in his voice. "Because I've licked and sucked your neck before too, and you seemed to really like that-"

"Yes," Don says. He has to get over this blushing thing, if he can't talk to Marvelous about things Marvelous has done to him then who can he talk to? "I liked that too. It tickles, but in a nice way. I like that feeling."

"And I've touched you too," Marvelous points out. "Running my hands up and down your back, held your waist. You never stopped me before now. So how will I know what's right and what's wrong? Or how much is too much?"

"You can ask me," Don says, "or I will tell you-" He cuts off. "Marvelous, what are you talking about? You won't need to worry about this anymore."

"Why not?"

“Well, we're... we're..." He keeps staring at Don with that clueless look in his eyes. How can he truly not know where this is going? Is he that good of an actor? Is he going to make _Don_ break up with _him_ so that he can't be accused of being a huge jerk? As if Don would tell anyone. As if anyone would believe him anyway! "We're breaking up, aren't we?"

"Who said?"

"Nobody, but I thought-"

"Do you want to break up with me?" Marvelous asks. Maybe he really is trying to make Don do it after all. He can't claim the hurt if he is the one to initiate the break-up. Don doesn't answer; the truth is pointless, and he doesn't want to lie and say 'yes'. "Don?"

"Don't you?" Don retorts. "Don't you want to break up with me? I'll go some of the way, but not all the way. Aren't I just a big _tease_? Won't you get tired of it soon? Wouldn't it be better for us both if we could still... be..." Can they still be friends? 

"Together?" Marvelous says, filling in the gap completely wrong. 

"You can't do that," Don says, and now his eyes are watering. He reaches up to wipe his tears away. "You couldn't be with someone and give up sex. You just couldn't; you like it too much."

"Maybe," Marvelous agrees. "But we won't know until we try." 

"I don't want you to," Don says. Even with Marvelous offering him everything he could technically ever want it isn't good enough, because it isn't natural for Marvelous. Don doesn't want Marvelous to have to sacrifice for him. "I don't want you to have to try."

"Tough," Marvelous shrugs. "Not your decision. I like you too much. I have to at least try to keep hold of you." At that he squeezes Don closer to him. 

"It's too much," Don whispers through his tears. 

"How would you know; you gave up sex and it was no big deal."

Don laugh-chokes at that; even Marvelous knows by now that they aren't the same things at all! He's trying to be _funny_. Don appreciates him altering the mood. He laces his fingers through Marvelous’s; seems they won’t be rid of each other just yet after all.

"Honestly though," Marvelous adds after a while, "I have to admit I don't like the not being into me sexually thing. It doesn't feel good."

Don supposes that's understandable; Marvelous judges almost everything by its sex appeal, so far as he can gather. And it's good that he isn't completely okay with all of this, it would be weird if he was. Wrong, and kind of suspicious.

"I'm sorry," Don says. He's sorry that Marvelous feels bad as a result of his attraction, or lack thereof. He places his hands on either side of Marvelous's face. "It doesn't mean I don't care about you. Or that I don't think you look good. You must have a very symmetrical face; symmetrical faces appeal to a huge percentage of the population, and the more symmetrical it is the more attractive you seem."

"Say more flattering things like that," Marvelous says with a soft smile, and Don laughs and kisses him on the mouth instead. 

They've got a long way to go in understanding this thing between them and how to make it work just yet, but it seems to Don that they're not off to a bad start after all. 

 

-

Don goes beetroot pink when Marvelous takes his hand and walks through the school halls with him like that. Don ends up trailing behind him because he's just too stunned to keep up with Marvelous's (completely normal) pace. Marvelous is too busy weaving his way neatly through the crowds towards his locker to notice any of his fumbling, thankfully. 

It's not like they haven't done this before, but it's a little different when you've gone all the way from the main doors, down all the halls and all the way to class without once letting go, even when people have tried to push their way between you or under you. Don thinks his palm might be sweating. Marvelous is going to think he's _gross_. 

It's wonderful that they can be doing this, though. Just yesterday evening - mere hours ago - Don was worried he would be spending today camped out in the library and pretending Marvelous didn't exist, waiting for the inevitable taunts because Marvelous probably couldn't keep his big mouth shut about Don not wanting to sleep with him. Or... well, that might not be something he would want to advertise. 

Would he want to advertise that now? He has a big crowd, but only a couple of them are particularly close to him so far as Don can tell. He might rather they all just assume he and Don are having sex. 

And last night he was working up to it. What if this big parade through the halls is just that? A way to show off? Is this a 'we had sex for the first time last night' victory lap? Oh God, is Don overthinking this _way too much_? 

It's not even true, they didn't! But of course Marvelous would have to keep up the pretense. He has a reputation to uphold. 

"I need to go to the restroom," Don mumbles, trying to ease his hand out of Marvelous's. Considering his hand feels so slippery-wet he has a lot of trouble doing it! Turns out Marvelous is tightening his fingers around Don's hand to keep hold of him. 

"What's the matter?" He asks with a penetrating stare. He can always tell when something is really wrong, Don loves that about him. And also hates that about him when it's inconvenient, like now. He has to get out of here and get some air.

"Nothing, I just need to go to the restroom." If he sticks to the story he can't falter. Marvelous considers him for another moment, and then lets go. 

Don runs the cold tap, splashes water on his face and tells himself not to make any stupid assumptions. 

And then Marvelous walks in. 

"We're alone in here, you wanna tell me what's wrong now?" He says, leaning against the sinks. 

_Don't assume: ask_ , Don thinks to himself. _Now or never_. 

"This is going to sound so stupid but I just have to ask," Don says, taking a deep breath. "Was that a victory lap?"

"Was what?" 

"The hand holding all the way across school," Don says quickly. Good, if he can throw the words out quickly and bat them back and forth he can get through this without passing out. 

"A victory lap?" Marvelous looks at him for a moment, considering. He's perceptive enough to get what Don means by it, it's just the disbelief that Don would actually say that. "You mean sex."

"I mean sex," Don agrees. "Does everyone think we did it now?"

"I don't know," Marvelous shrugs. "Maybe. Probably. Some people think we already did ages ago. I don't usually wait long." 

"What does that mean?" Don says, voice wavering a little. _He's so confused!_

"It means when people see someone with me - anyone - they're going to assume we're having sex," Marvelous says. "Because that's the way it usually is. But if nobody asks outright I can't just go around telling them otherwise. If somebody asks me outright do you want me to tell them we're not?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Don asks defensively. It's the _truth_! But if Marvelous's reputation means _more_ to him-

"I'd tell them it was none of their business because I think you don't want people knowing any details either way." 

"Oh." 

"But," Marvelous adds with a half-smile, "if you do I can tell anyone who asks that we're not. I probably only have to tell one person and it'll make its own way around the school in no time. Do you want me to?" 

"N-no!" Don squeaks. Marvelous is right: Don _doesn't_ want people to know either way. He doesn't want his sex life or lack of it to be anyone's conversational topic of choice! 

"Okay, so I got that right, good." Marvelous pauses, and then adds, "I'm sorry if I made you feel like you were being shown off. I-" 

He cuts himself off and doesn't volunteer any further explanation for why he felt the need to 'show off', but Don won't push. Marvelous either says something of his own accord, or somebody tries to force it out of him and he responds by clamming up even more. 

Don decides to take pity on him. He steps closer to Marvelous, goes up on tiptoe to press a kiss to Marvelous's cheek before he leaves for class.

"I'll see you at lunch," he says, pretending he didn't hear the aborted sentence at all. 

-

"You're sitting with me today?" Marvelous asks in the lunch-line. It isn't something Don does everyday, but he has been doing it once or twice a week for the past few weeks. He sits with Joe and Luka the majority of the time though - he would never abandon them! Not when they're still in need of support. 

_Well_ , Don thinks to himself wryly, _Joe not so much - if only he'd wake up to it!_

Joe is only a couple of people behind him in the queue; they'd entered the room together but other students had found their way between them. Don would've dragged Joe back into line further ahead with him but he's honestly too afraid of starting an argument. Joe doesn't believe in cutting in line anyway, not since the time he'd offered to let Sid in and Sid had thanked him but told him it wasn't fair to those who had gotten there first. Joe had just about _died_ of shame even though Sid had been full of gratitude and smiling the entire time! He hadn't held it against Joe at all, just thanked him for the offer wholeheartedly. These days Joe just stands in the lunch-line, firstly looking for Sid at their usual table - he's never there before Don, Luka and Joe though - and then ahead in the queue, and then when that option also offers no results he spends his queuing time glancing at the door every ten seconds to see if Sid is the next one walking through. Don understands; Sid isn't just in a different class to Joe like Marvelous is to Don, he's in a completely different year group. Joe doesn't even have the chance that their two classes will combine for a lesson or project. He has to make do with club time, which they're both too dedicated and serious to interrupt with intimate conversation, or lunch-time. 

Joe's face always lights up when he first sees Sid, though. Sid is the one with the supernatural ability to be able to walk into the cafeteria and unerringly know exactly where Joe is without even looking. You can rely on it, so Don never has to worry. He turns his attention back to Marvelous.

"Marvelous," he asks hesitantly. "Do you think you might like to meet my friends?"

"Sure," Marvelous replies easily. It _is_ easy for him; he's got nothing to worry about! They're not going to dislike him. "When?"

"Now? Over lunch?"

"Oh!" Marvelous says. "Sure, there's always more room at our table."

That's not strictly true: Don has seen plenty of people get turned away from the table Marvelous sits at even when there are enough empty seats there to fit them three times over. He means there's room when he or his friends _want_ there to be, Don guesses. 

Maybe Marvelous just doesn't want to be seen at their table? The tables themselves don't have any power of course; anywhere Marvelous sat would instantly be cool, but it is kind of tucked away in the corner away from everyone. Marvelous's table is kind of the head of the room, away from the lunch-line so that there isn't a constant stream of people walking past all the time, but still near enough that Marvelous can go and sweet-talk the lunch ladies into giving him second and third helpings every day. 

"That's great!" Don replies happily. He's just about used to the sensation of being in everyone's view at Marvelous's table by now. It helps that Marvelous is very distracting himself and most eyes are always on him. And that he keeps Don's attention enough that Don isn't worrying about what people think of him being there. "I'll just get them," he says, hanging back once he and Marvelous have their trays of food. Joe is understandably reluctant to head to the table on his own while Don darts further down the queue to tell Luka, so he waits for Don to come back and they make their way over together. 

"What about Sid-sempai?" Joe asks, seemingly oblivious to the fact that once upon a time he wouldn't have even assumed Sid wanted to sit with him. It's some progress at least.

"He can see us," Don says, jerking his head in Sid's direction and then having to balance his tray in one hand as Sid (of course) has his eyes right on them and waves and Don can't not wave back just because his hands are full! "See? He'll be right over." 

"But-"

"Joe," Don says, laying his free hand on Joe's arm. "I _promise_."

_That man would walk through fire for you_ , he thinks to himself privately. A different cafeteria table is going to be no trouble for him! 

Joe is still distracted by the idea of Sid coming over (or not coming over) to sit with them when Don introduces him to Marvelous, so it isn't as prickly an atmosphere as it could have been, considering. Don's never been around for it, and Joe's never spoken of it, but Don knows that Joe was picked on in the past in various sports clubs by people Marvelous to this day still calls 'friend'. It had been easier for Joe to bounce from club to club after the first time - baseball had been the only one he'd been really invested in, the rest just an excuse to do more sport. Then he had joined the Kendo club and met Sid and the rest was history. The harrassment had stopped not long after, coincidentally. Sid had encouraged Joe to keep up with Kendo but also to go back to his first love and rejoin the baseball team. Sid doesn't play himself, but he watches Joe from the bleachers at every practice. 

Really, how is it not obvious to Joe? Don will never understand it. But he knows better than to say anything about it. Luka still does, once in a while. Not when Sid is around; Joe has made it plain that even if Luka is a girl he will make her regret it if she dares. He won't, of course - it's _Joe_ ; he'd probably just sink into the floor and never speak to any of them (or anyone else in the world) ever again. But the thought of that is enough to keep Luka in check. 

When she reaches the table and Don introduces her to Marvelous Luka does look as though she's going to say something. 'So you're the loudmouth always causing a fuss around here?' she could say, and Marvelous would probably laugh approvingly, because he takes things like that as a compliment. Don has a sudden terrible realisation that they might actually _like_ each other - between them the trouble they could cause is near-infinite! He bites his lip, but all Luka does is sit down and shoot an, _'are you sure about this?'_ look Don's way. 

No, he's not, not at all, but it's far too late now!

Don's at least proven right when Sid reaches the table just after Luka, which he's relieved about because he knows how seriously Joe takes promises, and Don had just made him one! 

"Is it okay if I sit here with you, Joe?" Sid asks. 

The silent communication that follows all happens in a chain; Joe shoots a wide-eyed, frantic look Don's way, pleading for help; it's _Marvelous's_ lunch table after all, and as the most popular guy there nobody would want to cross him even if it weren't! Don turns his small but encouraging smile on Marvelous as if to say, "I'd really appreciate if you could do this thing for me; it's really important to Joe and Joe's my good friend," and Marvelous flicks his eyes over Sid in a half-suspicious, half-checking him out combination. Marvelous knows Sid's reputation - _nicest guy in the school_. Sid isn't uncool, he just isn't usually interested in sitting with the cool kids. Even now it isn't Marvelous he wants to be sitting with. Marvelous shrugs at Don to indicate his lack of concern if Joe does want to say yes, and Don's entire face lights up. He smiles at Joe, nodding encouragingly, and Joe finally manages to mumble a reply in the positive. 

-

Don heads to his locker at the end of the day to discard the books he doesn't need and pick up the ones for classes he has homework for. He had kind of expected Marvelous to beat him there since he always rushes out of his class first if he can - if he hasn't already wormed his way out before the last bell even rang - but Marvelous isn't around. When Don opens his locker the first thing he notices is a torn piece of paper folded in half and resting precariously on top of his things where it's fluttered down after being pushed through the grating. 

When he opens it there's a scrawled message inside. 

_I wanted to assure myself you're not going anywhere after last night. It was dumb._

There's no signature, or anything else written there at all, but it doesn't exactly take a genius to figure out who it's from. Don doesn't care how the message gets to him so long as it does. It's nice to know that even Marvelous experiences uncertainty from time to time. Though why he would get it into his head that Don would be the one to walk away from their relationship is beyond him!

Marvelous doesn't feel secure in their intimacy because they didn't have sex? It's the only yardstick he has to judge by? Don feels a little sorry for Marvelous, but he'll set him straight on that score. 

And Don's wrong - there is something else on the paper. In the corner there's a print number: 46. A page number. Marvelous has torn out the corner of one of his text books in order to write this note. _Typical!_

Don marches off to the car park where Marvelous's motorbike is. Obviously he was too nervous to stand around in front of Don's locker and wait for him when he knew the message he'd left inside it. He's leaning on the bike, holding the spare helmet for Don in preparation. Don waves the paper in his face. 

"Don't deface school property!" He hisses, not so loudly that anyone else will hear it and get Marvelous into trouble. He glances around, but the crowd around here isn't very thick anyway, and nobody else even has a motorbike so they still aren't nearby. 

"Nobody's even going to notice!" Marvelous replies with a disbelieving laugh. 

"But _I'll know_ ," Don says ominously. 

"Okay, I won't do it again," Marvelous promises. He sounds serious, but he's also obviously trying really hard not to smile. 

"As for the rest of it," Don says, stepping closer and hoping he sounds at least a little intimidating. He brings the paper down between his and Marvelous's chests and softens the tone of his voice. "It's things like _this_ that bring us closer, you know. You being able to tell me things you wouldn't tell anyone else." He spreads the fingers on his free hand over the spot where Marvelous's heart is. "I know you in _here_. That's the most important thing." 

-


End file.
